A dynamic model of terrestrial carbon cycling response to land-use change

Conference · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1992

OSTI ID:6883330

King, A W; Emanuel, W R; Post, W M

Here we describe an alternative model for analyzing the response of terrestrial carbon storage to changes in land use. A compartment model simulates ecosystem response to disturbance by a variety of land-use activities. An area distribution function summarizes the areal extent of vegetation carbon density per unit area for each ecosystem type. Plant growth and land-use disturbance alter the area distribution function through time. We drive the model with statistics on historical patterns of land-use change by geographic location and ecosystem type. Our simulations of the history of net terrestrial exchange with the atmosphere agree reasonably well with those of Houghton et al. (1983).

• Research Organization: Oak Ridge National Lab., TN (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: DOE; USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-84OR21400
• OSTI ID: 6883330
• Report Number(s): CONF-9205296-1; ON: DE93006221
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540210* -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
BIOMASS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON CYCLE
CARBON DIOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CARBON SOURCES
CHALCOGENIDES
CORRELATIONS
CULTIVATION
ECOSYSTEMS
ENERGY SOURCES
FORESTS
GROWTH
LAND USE
MATHEMATICAL MODELS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PLANT GROWTH
POLLUTION SOURCES
RENEWABLE ENERGY SOURCES
TERRESTRIAL ECOSYSTEMS